12
THE CHINA MAIL SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, DECEMBER 19, 1940.
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The Haunted House
In B-
Square
never
took off her opera cloak and he
saw
the gems
sparkling round
he so
coveted her neck. If
IT was Christmas Eve and Big up and examined the area win-
Ben had just struck eight dows. when Bill Gover, affectionately
They were all barred, except a dubbed "The Nipper" by his pals, very small one. If Bill had not only she would make haste and and get into bed he would try burglar and ex-con, turned into been a very small man-that was B Square, Mayfair. For some why his intimates named him grab them. But my lady was in no hurry. For some time she peculiar reason a corner house at "The Nipper"--he could once arrested his attention,
have got through it. He certain- stood by the bedside. There was R half-frightened, half-resolute It was number 13. Like so ly, had to squeeze a good deal.
look in her eyes, and lines of pain many criminals, Bill was super
He alighted in a larder. The
about her dainty little mouth as stitious.
in He believed
num air felt dunk
the and chilly, but it she gazed thoughtfully at bers.
Number 13 in another Lon- was a
very chilly night.
sleeper, don Square had once brought him
Slipping on a pair of felt slip- in a good haul. This number 13
So pers, they were part of his stock might prove equally lucky. he eyed its exterior with profes- in trade, and flashing his electric
All its windows torch cautiously around, he mov
ed slowly forward; out of were in darkness except one
a kitchen, where a the first floor, and the blinds of larder into that particular window not being drawn down, Bill could see into the room. Standing in front of the dressing table was a blonde, he knew that by the top of her head, which shone like burnished gold. He could not see her face. because of the mirror.
sjonal interest.
on
What interested him most about her, however, were her hands; the white. bejewelled. scarlet tipped fingers dangled a sparkling necklace,
the
nearly spent fire glowed dully in the large range, out into a stone flagged passage and up a wooden staircase on the ground floor.
The light from a lamp-post in the the Square shone through fan-light over the front door, and called into evidence dark shadows. There was something strange about the house, what it was be
By ELLIOTT O'DONNET
the
"D. monds," he said softly to himself. "If they're genuine they would fetch a mint of money, en- ough to set me up in a pub. Το own a cosy public house in White- could not say, but he did not like chapel or Lambeth was the height it. It made him creepy. of his ambition. "They're worth
The sound of footsteps outside trying for. I'll come again later, made him halt. There was no when the coast is a bit clearer."
mistaking that measured tread, Strolling off he whiled away the even though the snow muffled it. next few hours in a coffee house it was one of his enemies, a pq- in Soho. He stayed there
till
liceman, and his heart skipped a close on midnight. It was now beat when the footsteps stopped snowing, and cold and beastly outside the house. Was the cop- enough to clear the street of loi- per looking at his imprints on the terers. All who had homes were area steps? Would he ring only too glad to get back to them. bell? This was all in his favour, for Bill did not breathe freely till when he reached B-Square, it the steps moved on, he then tip- was deserted, and few of the toed softly to the staircase leading houses showed lights. Number to the first floor. From afar off 13 was in total darkness,
came the sound of singing, carols, Having assured himself no po- probably on the wireless, but it liceman was in lurking anywhere sent Bill's memory fleeting back near, he trod noiselessly down the to the time when he was a choir area steps, and was nearly at the boy. A choir boy then, a hard- bottom of them when he slipped. ened burglar now. The irony of His head struck a wall, and he fate; and Bill smiled grimly. He lapsed into unconsciousness. For wondered what the shepherds how long he could not say. When who watched their flocks, and his brain functioned again, he got Noel, would think of him, going up the stairs to pinch these dia- monds, and on Christmas Eve too. Lord blimey! It was funny. Then he jumped, as a dark, sha- dowy form darted past him. It was a big, black cat.
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Arriving on the first floor, the light from his torch revealed door nearly opposite him,
a
"That's the room," he told him- self.
Once there came an expression into her face that Bill did not it gave him the creeps, it like. was cruel, and seemed incongru- ous in one so young and fair. He was glad when she left the bed- side and disrobing, which did not take her a jiffy, slipped into a suit of dainty* pearl butioned pyjamas, and switching off the light, got into bed.
silk
very
Bill waited till he felt assured she and the man
were slumber- ing, and then came quietly from his lair. Everywhere was still, no sounds but the pattering of snowflakes against the window, not even the rustling or squeak- ing of a mouse,
The lady had laid the necklace and her other
the jewels on dressing table, and their sparkle his and glitter when he flashed
mouth torch on them, made his water. He was about to grab th lot and make a bolt for it, when he heard something that made him start in apprehension.
It was the gentle, surrepetitious trying of the door handle, In an instant he was back in his hiding place, and not a second too soon for the door opened noise- lessly and a white face peered through the aperture.
It was a woman, a woman with smooth black halp parted down the middle. The glow from the heater illuminating her long, nat- row face, and emphasising its whiteness to a quite startling de- gree, threw the features into strong relief, and they were of a kind not easily forgotten. A hawk- shaped nose, tight, thin lipped mouth and dark obliquely set eyes, sinister eyes, that glittered evilly as they wandered furtively round the room.
"Strike me pink!" Bill inward- ly ejaculated. "What Fa nasty looking devil! I wonder what she's up to?" and he shivered.
Moving with cat-like stealth, the woman crossed the floor to the bedside and bending over the man, listened with fiendish in- tent to his breathing. Then, ap-. parently satisfied he was asleep, she gently drew the bedclothes from around his neck, and pro- ducing a shining, razor edge, horn · handled knife from under her clothes, deliberately cut the wretched man's throat.
Tip-toeing noiselessly across the landing, and cursing when the boards creaked, he halted at the door and, with his ear pressed Tiptoeing noiselessly round the against the panel, listened intent- bedstead and holding the dripping ly. Not a sound from within and knife ready to strike again if ho light showing under the door. necessary, she peered derisively A gentle tapping in his rear made down into the blonde lady's face. him swing round in alarm. It Frozen with horrow and unable to was only a spray of Ivy beaten move a limb or utter a sound, Bill, against the staircase window by in his hiding place, watched. At the wind and snow.
length, apparently satisfied the Cautiously, and with bated blonde was asleep, the murderess breath, he tried the door handle. made for the dressing table, and The door was not locked. Open-. picking up the necklace thrust it ing it noiselessly he stepped into in her bosom.
the room. The sound of deep, At that moment there was regular breathing come from the slight noise close beside Bill. What bed. The occupant was an eld- caused it he did not know. It erly, clean-shüven grey-haired might have been the wind, a man, and he appeared to be mouse-anything. The murderess sound asleep. There was no one heard it too. else.
Darting to the curtains, she Bill's gaze, wandering round the pulled them aside. Bill made a. handsomely furnished room, rest- frantic effort to break the spell ed on the walnut dressing table. that still held him limp and The elaborate display of silver tongue-tied. He could do noth-. backed toilet requisites suggested a ing. Outside the snow was fall- woman, the blonde lady with the ing faster, than ever and the wind. diamonds, but where was she, and blew the flakes against the win- where were they?
dow panes with increasing vi- He was examining, with fever- gour. Save for the slight noise ish haste the contents of the this made everywhere was death- dressing table drawers when he ly still Bill never forgot that caught the tapping of high heeled stillness, there was something so shoes on the staircase. In a panic weird and unusual about it. The he at once hid behind the heavy curtains covering the window re- Only just in time, for hard- ly had he concealed himself be- fore someone enter the room,
cess.
woman stood, with her ugly, sinister face thrust forward, her oyes full of evil mockery mook- lhg; at his terror and inability to defend himself. Raising the keen Bill peeped through a chink in knife, her lips wreathed in a cruel the curtains. It was the blondel smile, she paused, gloating at his Tall and slender, with neat fea- suspense, and then-with-a-swift, tures, and a scarlet, cupid bow sudden action, she stubbed, Bill felt (mouth and heavily Inshed, blue amawful agonising pain and then eyes, she was really beautiful. all was a blank. He came back Even Bill, who had been very to consciousness, to find himself much off women, since, his wife lying, nearly buried in snow, in- ran off with his best friend, while the very spot in the area where he was last in prison, had to admit he had fallen and bumped his that. He was not, however, so head."
•
much interested in her looks as Puzzled beyond words, for it he was in her jewels. The dlu had all seemed too real and vivid mond necklace was not on the to be a dream, he staggered to dressing table, or in any of the his feet and discovered he had drawers. Was she wearing -it?, no cap. It must have dropped off
The antw
uwer came when, she *Continued:on Pala:22) ka